4 All Natural DIY Cleaning Products That Are Safe for Pets

With so many ‘natural’ and ‘green’ products coming to market, do you ever wonder how the old-school chemical cleaning solutions impact our pets?

We use a strong tub and tile cleanser in our shower and on our bathroom counters. We use bleach on the kitchen counters and in the sink. We use a floor cleanser to keep our hardwoods looking nicely. And we use a fabric freshener on our furniture. But none of the products we use could be called ‘natural’ or ‘green.’

Many pet owners are becoming more conscious of our pet’s environment and want to use products that are effective and safe to be used around animals. Making your cleaning solutions at home will also safe you money.

Author McCollonough Ceili learned this easy tip from her veterinarian. She mixes baking soda and baby powder (optional, for scent) to use as a dry shampoo on her dog and cat. She lightly covers her pets, rubs it into the undercoat, and then brushes it out. She enjoys this trick, because she doesn’t have to get her pets wet.

Neutralizing Skunk Spray

We live in a rural area and skunks appear at dusk helping us earn a PHD in quickly neutralizing the skunk odor after one of our dogs has been sprayed.

We use 1 quart of hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda, and 1 tablespoon of liquid soap; 3 ingredients available at any grocery store. We mix these ingredients in a bucket and wash our dogs several times, avoiding the eyes, mouth and nose. With each wash, you can tell that the skunk smell is fading.

Toilet Bowl Cleaners

Author Elisabeth Morrissey lives with cats who drink out of the toilet bowl, which inspired her to use an orange drink (e.g. Tang) to keep her toilets clean. Elisabeth pours a quarter cup in the bowl, swishes it around, and lets it sit for an hour. The citric acid help remove hard water stains and her cats avoid citrus, and the toilet, once they catch a whiff of the orange scent.

You can also use a 50/50 vinegar and water solution to clean toilet bowls.

Shower and Bathroom Cleaner

Derek Christian, owner of a professional cleaning service, shared this DIY shower and bathroom cleaner recipe. Fill a bottle with 1 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide, a teaspoon of liquid soap (optional), and water.

Hydrogen peroxide serves as a powerful germ-killing agent, but it breaks down quickly, leaving behind water and oxygen, making it safe to use around pets.

Vinegar is also effective in cleaning windows and mirrors. And we use 50-percent vinegar and 50-percent water mixture to clean the counters after preparing our dogs’ raw meals. The smell may be strong, but it evaporates quickly, leaving behind little to no scent.

Make sure to take the time to do your homework on ingredients to confirm that they actually are safe for pets. Our dogs and cats constantly soak up their environment through their noses, mouths and paw pad, and it is important to realize the impact our cleaning products have on pets.

Image via Shutterstock

Kimberly Gauthier writes about raw feeding for Keep the Tail Wagging while raising four gorgeous dogs in the Pacific Northwest.